HOLDERS Suffolk kept alive their hopes of a return trip to Lord's in this season's Minor Counties KO Cup thanks to a three-wicket win against Hertfordshire yesterday.

Nick Garnham

HOLDERS Suffolk kept alive their hopes of a return trip to Lord's in this season's Minor Counties KO Cup thanks to a three-wicket win against Hertfordshire yesterday.

Suffolk, set a target of 275 for victory, were indebted to an opening stand of 164 between Tom Huggins and Andrew Mawson in 33 overs for setting them on their way to victory at Welwyn Garden City.

Huggins made 83 (119 balls, two sixes and three fours) and Mawson 84 (92 balls with eight fours) to put Suffolk in the driving seat.

Justin Bishop, skippering Suffolk for the first time, weighed in with a useful 31 and although Chris Warn was unluckily run out at the non-striker's end when a straight drive was deflected into the stumps, the visitors needed 19 from the final three overs.

Chris Swallow hit a six and a four as 14 were plundered from the 48th over, but he skied a catch to deep mid-on in the penultimate over that yielded just one run.

Debutant Simon Rees, the Bury St Edmunds all-rounder, then struck a four through mid-wicket off the second ball of the final over to secure victory.

Hertfordshire had got off to a good start with the openers putting on 52 and debutant Steve Gale going on to top score with 78 from 92 balls laced with nine boundaries.

Swallow produced a diving caught and bowled to account for Nick Lamb and Rees dismissed Herts skipper and former Middlesex all-rounder Aaron Laraman.

Swallow and Bishop both bowled well as the visitors pegged Herts back, Bishop claiming the wicket of Ben Frazer whose 76 off just 60 balls included five sixes and five fours.

With Staffordshire winning against Norfolk yesterday Suffolk can still qualify if they defeat Staffs in their final group game at Mildenhall on June 1 and other results go their way.

Stand-in skipper Bishop said afterwards: “We have to win our final game and hope other results go for us, but the dream of a return to Lord's is still alive.

“We had to work hard in the field on a flat pitch as Herts came out and smashed it around in the first 15 overs. Chris Swallow bowled well and with myself supporting him at the other end we dragged it back a bit.

“Our openers gave us a good platform and I slogged a quick 30 before I gave it away with 20 still needed, but we had wickets in hand.”

Bishop, who expects to be on the bench for Cockfield United in tonight's Suffolk Junior Cup final against Old Newton at Portman Road, added: “Simon Rees is a very promising prospect who has come on well in the winter and he did well today, getting a wicket and then hitting the winning runs.”

Scoreboard

HERTFORDSHIRE

S Gale c Warn b McGarry 78

G Brown b Smith 27

N Lamb c & b Swallow 16

D Ward c Bishop b McGarry 23

A Laraman c Bishop b Rees 3

B Frazer c Smith b Bishop 76

F Walker c Warn b Bishop 13

S White not out 15

T Jenkins not out 0

Extras 23

Total (for 7 wkts, 50 overs) 274

Did not bat: M Smith, S Coleman.

Fall: 1-52, 2-114, 3-153, 4-153, 5-197, 6-248, 7-267.

Bowling: McGarry 10-0-49-2; Smith 8-1-51-1; Rees 5-0-34-1; Swallow 10-1-37-1; Bishop 10-0-53-2; Huggins 7-0-36-0.

SUFFOLK

T Huggins st Jenkins b Walker 83

A Mawson c Jenkins b Smith 84

H Adnan c Laraman b Smith 18

J Bishop b Frazer 31

M Cull c & b Coleman 15

N Lee not out 16

C Warn run out 0

C Swallow c Ward b Coleman 12

S Rees not out 4

Extras 13

Total (for 7 wkts, 49.2 overs) 276

Did not bat: M Smith, A McGarry.

Fall: 1-164, 2-176, 3-213, 4-237, 5-245, 6-248, 7-270.

Bowling: Laraman 10-1-45-0; White 4.2-0-24-0; Frazer 10-0-66-1; Smith 10-0-42-2; Coleman 10-0-51-2; Walker 5-0-40-1.